Cow Creek, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cow Creek: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cow Creek and Hughes County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Hughes County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 39 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Hughes County compares with South Dakota
Hughes County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Hughes County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Hughes County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 20.2 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 52% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.0 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 100% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.21 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 1.6× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.1% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 3.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 23.1% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 19% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.5% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 8% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.4% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 12% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.2% | 48.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 12.8% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 44% below the state |
Compared with South Dakota, Hughes County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above South Dakota on injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Hughes County: 1 in 19 crashes involve a garbage truck (2 since 2015), vs 1.6% across South Dakota.
Overview
Since 2015, 39 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Hughes County. They injured 8 people and killed 0.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 103 days.
Cow Creek had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Hughes County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 17.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 2.6%.
November through March accounts for 46.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.8% in South Dakota.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 15.4% of truck crashes.
23.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 28.6% across South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
No fatal crash involving a large truck has a recorded location within 10 miles of Cow Creek since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 2 crashes, 5.1% of the total, against 1.6% across South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Cow Creek fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Hughes County.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Hughes County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Hughes County) |
|---|---|
| US-14 | 19 |
| Ave | 4 |
| Sd Hwy 34 | 3 |
| US-83 | 3 |
| Us Hwy 14 B | 2 |
| Capitol Ave | 1 |
| Coteau St | 1 |
| SR-14 | 1 |
Cow Creek at a glance
| Land area | 1.8 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57501) | $81,791 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57501) | $236,530 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Hughes County since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 4 | -13% | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 4 | +0% | 0.0 |
| 2020s | 4 | +15% | 0.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 4 to 4. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cow Creek
How many truck crashes happen in Cow Creek?
Since 2015, 39 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Hughes County (8 injured, 0 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Cow Creek?
March has the most truck crashes in Hughes County, 17.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Cow Creek?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Hughes County since 2015 (5.1% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Cow Creek compare with South Dakota?
Hughes County records 20.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.0 across South Dakota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Cow Creek?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.